Disposable refuse container



Feb. 14, 1961 v. 1. AKERS 2,971,683

DISPOSABLE REFUSE CONTAINER Filed March 11, 1957 H INVENTOR. VICTOR AKERS HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent DISPOSABLE REFUSE CONTAINER Victor I. Akers, 852 Arlington Ave., Berkeley, Calif.

Filed Mar. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 645,033

13 Claims. (Cl. 229-38) My invention relates to disposable containers and more particularly to a disposable container for refuse.

In keeping with present day efforts to maintain clean highways, various plans have been proposed such as billboard campaigns, and in connection therewith, the disposal of refuse receptacles at strategic locations, etc. These have not met with two much success as people in transit are loath to stop and dispose of rubbish and find it more to their convenience to just discard the same through the car window.

Among the objects of my invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved disposable 'con tainer for refuse;

(2) To provide a novel and improved disposable container for refuse which can be conveniently supported in a readily accessible but out of the way place within an automobile;

(3) To provide a novel and improved disposable container for refuse which can quickly and conveniently be removably aflixed to a supporting surface or surfaces for stability while in use;

(4) To provide a novel and improved disposable container for refuse which may be shipped or handled in a collapsed condition, but which can quickly be unfolded into a semi-rigid sustaining form for use;

(5) To provide a novel and improved disposable con- "tainer for refuse adapted for shipment in a collapsed condition, but which when unfolded for use, will inherently be restrained against collapsing;

(6) To provide anovel and improved disposable container for refuse which will readily permit deposit of refuse therein, and will retain the same against accidental discharge at any time.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure l is a three dimensional frontal view of my invention in its preferred form;

Figure 2 is a view in section in plane 22 .of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in section in plane 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the container of Figure 1',

Figure 5 is a view of the container of Figure 1 in its collapsed condition;

Figure 6 is a View depicting the manner of installation of the container of Figure 1 for use in an automobile.

Referring to the drawings for details of my invention in its preferred form, the disposable container illustrated therein comprises a front wall 1, a rear wall 3, and a pair of side walls 5 and 7 connecting the front and rear walls. The lower end of the container is closed otfby the bottom 8.

The bottom may be of conventional construction, involving a flap. 9 from each of two opposing'walls such as the side walls, and a covering flap 10 extending from the rear wall and having a hingedlip 11 along its free edge which is adapted to be tucked in'b'etween the' front wall and the proximate edges of the flaps 9. While flaps 9 have been shown as meeting in the middle, they can be of sufficient length to overlap to any desired degree.

To permit of removably hanging such container from a wall or other surface, the rear Wall includes an extension 13 terminating above the front wall, and to the back surface of the rear wall extension, preferably adjacent the upper edge thereof, an adhesive coating 15 is applied.

Such adhesive coating is preferably of the sticky type such as may be found on cellophane tape, and to protect such coating while the container is not in use, a removable protective strip 17 of waxed paper or the like is applied over the adhesive area, such strip being removable to expose the adhesive area, when it is desired to place-the container in use.

The provision of the rear wall extension and adhesively coated area, permits of the container to be quickly and conveniently aflixed to a wall surface, and in connection with the use of such a receptacle as a refuse receptacle in an automobile, such surface may be the lower area of a dash or instrument panel 21, preferably at a location above the ridge 23 in the floor board, which is customarily found in the present day late model cars.

When thusly located, the lower front end of the container may rest upon the floor ridge, without requiring a container of excessive depth, for the distance between the top of such ridge and the lower portion of the dash or instrument panel in the modern car is relatively small.

In some instances, a conveniently located knob on the dash or instrument panel may be taken advantage of as a means for suspending such a container, and with this in mind, I provide a tab forming cut 24 in the rear wall extension, so located as to leave the adhesively coated area exposed between the tab forming out and the upper edge of the extension, whereby the protective strip 17 will serve to reinforce the upper edge of the rear wall extension to preclude the container tearing loose from its support.

The container as thus far described is adapted to be collapsed by opening the bottom and utilizing one pair of diagonally opposed corners as hinge axes and bringing the remaining opposing corners toward each other as depicted in Figure 5 of the drawings. In this condition,

containers may be conveniently stacked for shipment. Such container, when expanded from itscollapsed condition, to prepare it for use, will be precluded from collapsing by the closed bottom, though at the upper end or mouth of the container, in the absence of suitable provisions, the container would be weak in resisting torsional twist. This, however, would not be a serious problem insofar as the intended use of the container is concerned, though increased stability of the container at its upper end would add to the convenience of depositing material therein.

Also, with the upper end open, items deposited in the container, might under certain conditions, be discharged therefrom.

To overcome the weakness to torsional twist and at the same time preclude accidental discharge of contents rom the container, I provide each side wall with an inwardly directed flap 25, hingedly secured along the upper edge thereof, each such flap prefer-ably extending approximately half Way across the open end or mouth of the container so as to approach the other flap and together substantially span the entrance to the container. When lying in or depressed slightly below the plane of the open end of the container as determined by the upper edges of the front and side walls, the flaps will effectively resist such torsional twisting as it may be exposed to in use, and thus retain the container in the best condition for use.

in the preferred form of my invention, may comprise a hinged tab 27 in each of those opposing walls which face the side edges of the flaps, each such hinge tab being located just below the mouth of the container and of a width to span the opposing edges of said flaps. In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated, the hinge tabs will be located in the front and rear walls of the container.

Thus in assembling a container from its collapsed condition to prepare the same for use, the flaps are depressed sufficiently to permit withdrawal of the hinged tabs to a position over the flaps, whereupon the flaps are released. Sufficient resiliency is retained at the hinge of each tab to resist the normal tendency of the flaps to move upwardly, thus effectively locking the flaps in the positions required for resisting such twisting.

While such hinge tabs resist upward movement of the flaps out of the mouth of the container, they permit maximum freedom of'movement of the flaps in the opposite or downward direction into the container. Thus material may be readily deposited into the container and the subsequent return of the flaps toward the tabs, will serve to trap and retain the contents of the container against accidental discharge.

In disposing of certain items, such as tissue or the like, it may be necessary to compact or force the same into the container with the fingers. With straight edged flaps, unless care is exercised upon withdrawing the fingers, the fingers may be caught between the edges of the flaps, to the discomfort of the user. I minimize this possibility by providing a notch 29 in the opposing edge of each flap and centrally thereof. Together they provide a circular opening which should be sufficiently large to freely admit one or more fingers. Thus the fingers may be conveniently withdrawn without wedging them between the opposing edges of the flaps.

The opening, formed by the notches, also permits of the ready disposal of small items without necessitating any, or at the most, but a minimum depressing of the flaps.

With the container suspended as described, from the lower surface of the dash or instrument panel, it will naturally be exposed to the swaying forces of the car.

Swaying of the container under these conditions will normally be resisted to a degree by the extent of the area of contact with the instrument panel surface when adhesively secured thereto, as well as the engagement of the container at its lower end with the floor ridge upon which it rests.

When supported from a knob, however, on the instrument panel, the resistance offered to swaying would not be as great, and in order to avoid any such displacement or movement of the container, I provide means for removably anchoring the same at its lower end to the surface against which it rests, which in this case is the floor ridge. 7

Such means may take the form of a flap 31 extending downwardly from one of the walls of the container, preferably the front wall in the preferred embodiment of the invention, with such flap being provided with a coating 33 of adhesive material along an area which is adapted to bear against the surface to which the lower end of the container is to be removably anchored.

As in the case of the rear wall extension, the adhesive is preferably of the sticky type, in which case a protective strip 35 is removably applied over the adhesive area to protect the same until the container is placed in use.

' The flap 31 may also be provided with a tab- 37, preferably formed integral therewith, with its hinge axis adjacent the protective strip 35 to take advantage of the reinforcement afforded thereby. In many instances, the lower end of the containerin .lieu of adhesively securing 4 it, may be stabilized by hooking such tab over a wire or cable running beneath the dashboard.

The foregoing description of my invention in its preferred form, relates particularly to the same when intended for use in and about an automobile as a container for refuse. However, the same may have other fields of application such as in the home as a temporary receptacle for disposal of garbage or for use as containers alongside the bed of a patient to receive used and discarded tissues and the like. In respect to certain of these applications, the lower flap might not be required and could be removed, or dispensed with in the fabrication of the container.

While I have disclosed my invention in its preferred form, it is apparent that the same may be altered, or modified, without departing from the underlying principles involved, and I accordingly do not desire to be "limited in my protection to the specific details illustrated and described except as may'be necessitated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls and a bottom closing the lower end of said container, means connecting with one of said walls for hanging said container, means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, while permitting essentially full open .end access thereto for deposit of refuse without lifting flaps or the like, comprising a flap. hingedly secured adjacent the upper edge of a wall of said container and extending in the direction of the opposing wall, means connecting with another of said walls and overlapping a proximate edge portion only of said flap below the open end of said container and resisting lifting of said flap for restraining said flap from rising above the plane of the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, and means extending from the lower end of said container for anchoring said container in its suspended position, to a proximate surface out of contact therewith, but at an angle to the walls of said container.

2. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear all, a pwair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls and a bottom closing the lower end of said container, and means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container while permitting essentially full open end access thereto for deposit of refuse without lifting flaps or the like, comprising a flap hingedly secured adjacent the'up-per edge of a wall of said container and extending in the direction of the opposing wall, and means secured to another of said walls adjacent the upper edge thereof and normally covering a portion only of said flap adjacent the proximate edge thereof below the open end of said container and resisting lifting of said flap for restraining said flap from rising above the plane of the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

3. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls and a bottom closing the lower end of said container, means connected to one of said walls for removably hanging said container, and means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, comprising a flap hingedly secured adjacent the upper edge of each of two opposing walls of said container and extending partially across the open end thereof, and a tab hingedly secured to one of the remaining walls at an intermediate location adjacent the upper edge thereof and of a length to extend over a portion only of said flaps adjacent an edge of each flap to restrain said flaps from rising above the plane of the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

4. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls and a bottom closing the lower end of said container, means for removably hanging said container, said means including an extension of said rear wall terminating above said front wall, and means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, comprising a flap hingedly secured adjacent the upper edge of each of two opposing walls of said container and extending only partially across the open end thereof, and a tab hingedly secured to one of the remaining walls adjacent the upper edge thereof and of a maximum length such as to cover only a proximate edge portion of said flaps to restrain said flaps from rising above the plane of the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

5. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls, and an openable bottom closing the lower end of said container, means for removably hanging said container, said means including an extension of said rear wall terminating above said front wall, and means for precluding accidental discharge of material from the upper end of said container, comprising a flap hingedly secured adjacent the upper edge of each of two opposing walls of said container and extending only partially across the open end thereof, and a tab hingedly secured to each of the remain-ing walls adjacent the upper edge thereof and of a maximum length such as to cover only a proximate edge portion of said flaps to restrain said flaps from rising above the plane of the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

6. In a disposable container for refuse or the like, a container wall and an open upper end into which to deposit material, means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, said means including at least one flap secured adjacent the upper edge of said container and extending at least partially across the open end thereof, and means resisting withdrawal of said fiap from said open end to a position above it while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, said last means including a tab extending from said wall of said container and normally terminating below the open upper end of said container in overlapping relationship to an edge portion only of said flap to resist lifting of said flap above the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

7. In a disposable container for refuse or the like, a container wall and an open upper end into which to deposit material, means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, said means including at least one flap secured adjacent the upper edge of said container and extending at least partially across the open end thereof, and means resisting withdrawal of said flap from said open end to a position above it while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, said last means including a hinged tab in said wall of said container and normally terminating below the open upper end of said container in overlapping relationship to an edge portion only of said flap to resist lifting of said flap above the open end of said container while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container.

8. In a disposable container for refuse or the like, a container wall and an open upper end into which to deposit material, means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, said means including at least one flap secured adjacent the upper edge of said container and extending at least partially across the open thereof of a size to permit of the insertion of at least one finger, and means resisting withdrawal of said flap from said open end to a position above it while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, said last means including a hinged tab in a wall of said container adjacent an edge of said flap and of a length to extend over a proximate portion only of said flap.

9. In a disposable container for refuse or the like, opposing container walls, connecting walls between said opposing walls, and an open upper end into which to deposit material, means for precluding accidental dis charge of material from said container, said means including a pair of flaps hingedly secured adjacent the upper edges of said opposing walls of said container and extending at least partially across the open end thereof,

each of said flaps having a notch in the free end thereof in opposing relationship to the other and of a size to form a hole suificient to permit insertion of at least one finger, and means resisting withdrawal of said flaps from said open end to a position above it while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, said last means including a hinged tab in a connecting wall of said container adjacent an edge of said flaps and of a length to extend over proximate portions only of said flaps.

10. In a disposable container for refuse or the like, opposing container walls, connecting walls between said opposing walls, a bottom joining the lower ends of said walls, and an open upper end into which to deposit material, means for precluding accidental discharge of material from said container, said means including a pair of flaps hingedly secured to the upper edges of said opposing walls of said container and extending partially across the open end thereof, each of said flaps having a notch in the free end thereof in opposing relationship to the other and of a size to form a hole sufiicient to permit of insertion of at least one finger, and means resisting withdrawal of said flaps from said open end to a positionabove it while permitting the same to be depressed at will into said container, said last means including a hinged tab in a connecting wall of said container adjacent an edge of said flaps and of a length to extend over proximate portions only of said flaps.

'11. A disposable container for refuse or the like including a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom portion closing the lower end of said container, said container being effectively open at its upper end for deposition of refuse therein, means for removably hanging said container from a support, said means including an extension of said rear wall, terminating above said front wall, and means for removably anchoring the lower end of said container to a surface out-of contact with but in proximity thereto, said means including an extension of said front wall, terminating below said rear wall, said extension being flexible and normally lying in substantially the plane of said front wall.

12. A disposable container for refuse or the like comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls connecting said front and rear walls, and a bottom closing the lower end of said container, said container being effectively open at its upper end for disposition of refuse therein, means associated with said rear wall for removably hanging said container from a support, and means for removably anchoring the lower end of said container to a proximate surface, said means including a broad flexible flap hanging loosely from the lower end of and normally in substantially the plane of said front wall, said flap having a coat-ing of adhesive on one of its surfaces adjacent the lower edge of the flap, and a removable guard strip covering said adhesive coating.

13. A disposable container for refuse or the like com prising a front wall and a rear wall, means for removably hanging said container from a supporting surface,

said means including an extension of said rear wall, terminating above said front Wall, an adhesive coating on Q the back surface of said rear Wall extension adjacent the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hope Sept. 20, 1932 Pauli Oct. 9, 1934 Stapleford Nov. 12, 1935 Curtis Ian. 11, 1938 Bennett Feb. 27, 1940 Mackay Nov. 13, 1956 

